Looking for a smaller, lighter alternative to my D4 when that kind of speed isn't necessary. Kind of caught between these two, and I'm sure they both take great pictures. Sensor ratings can be deceiving, as can "reviews"

Does anyone have strong experience with both and can tell me which would be better?

- shoot mainly people and action with moving subjects- some portrait- only a little landscape- try not to use flash whenever possible- use only high quality Nikkors

The sensor in the 600 is very impressive as my RX-1 is laser sharp, but I do tend to crop frequently so am focal length limited and hence the 800e is appealing

One big advantage to the D800 is that you can shoot in the crop mode using lenses for the smaller sensor DX cameras and still get a 15MP image along with 6 frames per second drive rate.

An added grip makes 6 frames per second a reality. That is as fast as we used to shoot with Nikon F3's for news work and sports. Al

Given the cost difference the D800 or D800E seems to be worth it. You can always shoot at a lower image size/resolutions if you don't want the full size files. Either way, having the option of full size is nice when you want or need it.

From my perspective its pretty simple. The D800 is not 50% more camera for the money.

It's also not 50% more costly. In fact the price difference is more than marginal, but in many respects not at all excessive, with the D800 selling in the UK at around £1930 & the D600 for around £1400.